Here are your morning headlines for Monday, December 4th:
- Fatal airplane crash leaves one man dead in Portage County;
- Canton-based brewing equipment supplier accused of ripping off clients;
- Dispatch analysis shows rampant segregation in Ohio charter schools;
- Steelworkers approve contract with TimkenSteel;
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes dredging, agrees to cooperate moving forward;
- Democratic candidates for Ohio governor will debate Monday night;
- State will not fine operators of deadly fair ride;
Fatal airplane crash leaves one man dead in Portage County
One man has been killed after a single-engine airplane crashed into a home in Portage County. It's unclear when the crash happened, but the family living at the Shalersville Township home discovered the wreckage around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Authorities say the pilot was killed after the plane crashed into the back deck. WEWS-TV reports state troopers believe the pilot took off from the nearby Portage County Regional Airport earlier in the day. Investigators say he crashed upon his return. The pilot has been identified as Stephen Paulus, 60, of Rootstown. The Portage County Coroner's office is scheduled to perform the pilot's autopsy today to determine an official cause of death. An investigation is ongoing.
Canton-based brewing equipment supplier accused of ripping off clients
Craft breweries across the U.S. are accusing a Canton company of ripping them off. The Beacon Journal reports the brewing equipment company SysTech is the focus of an investigation by Dover and Tuscarawas county police. SysTech suddenly went out of business in mid-September and told clients they forfeit their deposits. Since then, five breweries have filed complaints, with one filing a breach of contract suit. Filings with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office show the lost deposits ranged from about $29,000 to more than $50,000.
Dispatch analysis shows rampant segregation in Ohio charter schools
An analysis from the Columbus Dispatch shows among Ohio schools, charter schools are the most racially segregated. The Dispatch reports nearly 80 percent of Ohio’s white charter students choose to do their studies online. But minority students disproportionately attend brick-and-mortar charter schools, which tend to be in poorer neighborhoods. Ohio law only allows charters to open in districts with low test scores. The Dispatch analysis shows in the 2014-15 school year, 9 of 10 students were black at nearly a quarter of the state’s charter schools.
Steelworkers approve contract with TimkenSteel
Union steelworkers have agreed to a four-year contract with TimkenSteel. Steelworkers Local 1123 voted in favor of the contract on Friday after more than three months of negotiations. The union voted down two previous offers. The new contract includes bonuses and includes health care and retirement benefits for all members. A release from TimkenSteel says the deal also focuses on employee safety. The contract is in effect until 2021.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes dredging, agrees to cooperate moving forward
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it has finished dredging the Cleveland Harbor and Cuyahoga River shipping channel and plans to work cooperatively with "our Cleveland stakeholders" going forward. Cleveland.com reports the Army Corps said in a statement Friday that 70,000 cubic yards of dredged sediment has been placed in a confinement facility to prevent contaminating Lake Erie with toxic sludge. The Army Corps has been engaged in a years-long legal battle with the state environmental officials and the Port of Cleveland over dredging and disposal. The Army Corps on Friday appealed a federal judge's ruling that said the Corps abused its discretion in that fight. The commander of the Army Corps' Buffalo, New York, district also says there are plans to dredge next year.
Democratic candidates for Ohio governor will debate Monday night
The City Club of Cleveland is hosting the third debate among Democratic candidates for Ohio governor. The free event tonight is open to the public. It will feature four of five announced candidates: Former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, former state Rep. Connie Pillich and state Sen. Joe Schiavoni. The fifth announced contender, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill, was not included. The Ohio Democratic Party says that's because he did not go through its formal vetting process. O'Neill has registered a protest. Former federal consumer watchdog Richard Cordray also won't be there. He is expected to announce a gubernatorial run Tuesday. WKSU will air the debate live Monday at 7 p.m.
State will not fine operators of deadly fair ride
Officials say the Ohio state agriculture department has decided not to fine the operators of a thrill ride that broke apart at the Ohio State Fair, killing one. The Dayton Daily News reports an investigative summary released Friday says the Ohio Department of Agriculture will not fine Amusements of America even though the company failed to report the accident within 24 hours as required by law. The summary says the group, however, did notify the state immediately. A four-passenger carriage on the swinging and spinning ride called the Fire Ball broke apart July 26 and flung one of the ride's carriages into the air. Eighteen-year-old high school student Tyler Jarrell died. Dutch manufacturer, KMG, said the cause was excessive corrosion of a support beam.
